Earlier on Wednesday, Abkhazian President Raul Khadzhimba signed a decree setting July 10 as a date for the referendum on early presidential elections

Abkhazian President Raul Khadzhimba

SUKHUM, June 1 /TASS/. Abkhazian President Raul Khadzhimba believes that the opposition which initiated a referendum on early presidential elections will try to use it for discrediting the ruling authorities.

"The opposition intends to use the instrument of a referendum to undermine the positive processes in economy and social development which have appeared in 2016 and ,consequently, to discredit the country’s leadership," the Abkhazian president said at a meeting with the Abkhazian public on Wednesday.

"It is extremely irresponsible from the point of view of protecting our citizens’ interests and given the fact that we have been assigned with the task to double revenues into the state budget and implement decisions aimed at improving people’s living standards," Khadzhimba went on to say.

According to him, the holding of a referendum during a summer vacation season may worsen the main indicators for the resort industry and deliver a blow at the potential incomes of ordinary people.

Khadzhimba said that the opposition had never announced any serious reasons for holding the referendum. "Not a single statement made by the opposition indicates any real or serious reasons to justify the referendum. There are not any meaningful arguments except for remarks about an allegedly critical public and political situation and that Khadzimba and his entourage are incapable of running a state," the Abkhazian president said.

He added that the only reason for early presidential election envisaged by the constitution is the president’s impeachment in case the head of state violates the oath, the constitution or the country’s laws; his voluntary resignation or incapability to perform the presidential functions as well as death.

"For the moment, there is not a single reason for holding early presidential elections under the constitution," Khadzhimba said calling on parliament to give a political and legal assessment to a question, which is going to be put to vote.

Earlier on Wednesday, Khadzhimba signed a decree setting July 10 as a date for the referendum on early presidential elections. The voters will have to answer only one question: "Do you think that it is necessary to hold early presidential elections in Abkhazia?"